Wings Blog

Holland picks TB's pocket

It may not amount to anything. If Drew Miller doesn't work out with the Wings, then nobody is going to remember what Ken Holland did on Wednesday. But if Miller, who is only 25, finds his niche here and becomes a regular contributor, then Holland pulled a rabbit out of Tampa Bay's back pocket.

Tampa Bay didn't want to lose Miller. They traded Evegny Artyukhin, a big forward with still unmet potential, to the Ducks to get him. It was their intention to send Miller to the American Hockey League for a spell, to create some roster space to bring Ryan Craig back. Because Miller has played 67 regular season games in the NHL, the Lightning had to subject him to the waiver wire before sending him down. The last thing they expected was the Wings to claim him.

But Holland doesn't sleep on these things. Even though he was fully involved in the general managers' meeting in Toronto, Holland kept his eyes on the transaction wire. When Miller's name showed up, he grabbed him. A 25-year-old defensive-minded winger. A hard skater, good on the penalty kill. A guy who despite limited regular season action, has played in the Stanley Cup finals and was taking a regular shift in 13 playoff games for the Ducks last season. And to get him for $525,000 (he will be a restricted free agent this summer) and a two-way contract, Holland couldn't pass it up.

So, again, maybe it's a shot in the dark and nothing good comes of it. Or, maybe it's another steal similar to the Kris Draper for a dollar deal back in the day, or a Danny Cleary-type pick-up. Either way, though, the Wings can't lose.